In the News

Jul292014

Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- Members of South Carolina's Congressional Delegation have sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services to get more information about children who entered the country illegally, and are being housed in South Carolina.

Last week federal officials revealed that 350 children were sent to the Palmetto State from January to July 7. According to the report, the children are staying with family members or other sponsors.

Among the questions they want answered: "Have any UACs (unaccompanied alien children) been house at any military installation or HHS-contracted shelters within South Carolina?"

They also ask: "Does DHS or HHS have any plans to move any UACs to military installations or HHS-contracted shelters within South Carolina?"

The delegation goes on to ask for monthly updates on the number of children that the agencies send to our state.

In a news release several of the delegation members issue the following statements:

"We know DHS and HHS track this information but few specifics have emerged," said Congressman Mulvaney (SC-05). " There have been reports that some of the children who are entering our country illegally are being sent to South Carolina. My colleagues and I would like to know the specifics of how many children are being sent to South Carolina and where they are being housed."

"The surge of unaccompanied children at our southern border is a crisis," said Congressman Tom Rice (SC-07). "Children are risking their lives to reach our border, only to wait for their deportation cases to be processed. The Administration must stop disseminating inaccurate information about our country's immigration policies and start providing states with proper notice on how this crisis will impact their respective populations. I look forward to hearing the Administration's answers to our questions."

"I am extremely concerned that my office's repeated attempts to request data about any and all placements in South Carolina was consistently met with misleading information," said Senator Scott (R-SC). "Throughout this process, we have continually been told by various Obama Administration agencies that no unaccompanied minors had been placed in South Carolina and that no plans existed to start those placements. Clearly that information was wrong, and the administration must provide us the truth in answering today's letter."

"The current humanitarian crisis is a result of the Administration's failure to enforce our immigration laws and secure our border," said Congressman Wilson (SC-02). "By refusing to address the lack of communication between governments in Central America and our own, the President is essentially breaking up families, putting children at risk of abuse and exploitation, and inappropriately mandating that taxpayers foot the bill for those who have ignored our laws. At a very minimum, the federal government should notify South Carolina families when unaccompanied alien children are transported to locations within the Palmetto State."